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How to Divide Office Space
How to divide office space? Read to find out what sections are necessary and how to divide them according to size, function, and purpose.
Dividing up your office space so that it suits the needs of your team can sometimes be a challenge. You want everything arranged so that the layout makes sense and everything serves a function and a purpose, that way you’re maximizing the use of the space you have, even if it’s not necessarily a large office.
It’s important to always consider both what you want and what you need, and then you can arrange and divide the room with those things in mind. Keep reading for a few tips on how you might get started and some office layout ideas.
Try U-Shaped Desks
U-shaped desks are very popular in many offices, public or private office spaces, especially those that may be short on space. They provide a large work area, while helping to divide a room and break up large, open spaces.
In many cases, U-shape desks can also be customized with numerous storage options, which only increases its benefits. Depending on your needs, you can add drawers, cabinets, and shelves to the design, or all of the above!
This means that not only are U-shape desks excellent as space dividers in an office, breaking up an open floor plan according to function, they can also be used as storage units.
U-shape desks are especially great for offices that deal with a lot of paperwork, or where clients visit frequently––this is because in both cases, you need ample desk space to work from.
These types of desks offer a classy look that lends itself well to a professional aesthetic, without compromising on space or comfort. Take a look at our site to find a wide range of U-shaped desks to suit your needs.
Try Mobile Freestanding Dividers
Mobile office space dividers come with roll-on wheels and can be used on both hard and soft flooring. Most of the mobile dividers have casters that can be locked, to ensure it stays in place and doesn’t slide around, once it has been positioned.
Mobile dividers make it easy to create a dynamic workspace that can be widened or reduced as needed. You could even opt for a mobile whiteboard divider for multipurpose use.
This can create a division in your office space, while also providing whoever is on either side of the divider a place to write down any important information, or to brainstorm ideas.
You could also go with a divider that features one side as a pin board, and the other as a whiteboard to increase its usefulness, or you can simply choose dividers that match the aesthetic and decor of your office. There aren’t any rules when selecting dividers and how you choose to use them, so do what works best for your office and needs.
Try Office Furniture
Using office furniture strategically placed in arrangements that resemble rooms can be a wonderful way to divvy up an open floor plan and create different work areas, meeting areas, and collaborative areas. Even arranging each business desk strategically can help divide your office space.
High-backed chairs and couches are great at helping to create an illusion of privacy, as do things like bookshelves and stacking cubes, while also providing plenty of extra storage space to keep things hidden and out of the way. Rugs, lamps, and other accent pieces can help unify a certain area and keep it delineated from the others, too.
Try Open Shelving
Open shelves can make excellent dividers, regardless of the kind of room you’re dividing. You can use them to section off areas for specific purposes, without compromising or wasting any space, because they add extra vertical space that can be used for storage, decoration, or both.
However, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep everything organized with open shelving. Try storing storing rarely used documents in baskets and boxes that you place on the shelves. You can also use the open shelves to display company mementos, trophies, and accessories.
Be sure to place all closed boxes and baskets on the bottom shelves, along with other large items. Average-sized items can be placed on the middle shelves, while smaller items should always take the top shelves, otherwise you might tip things over or get a look that seems top-heavy.
Try Modular Office Partitions
Modular office partitions are an affordable and simple way of dividing your office space efficiently. Essentially, they’re multiple freestanding dividers that are connected to create a wall-like structure. These can be customized to be as large or as small as needed in order to create an appropriate barrier.
Some modular partitions even come with additional noise absorbing features and can be positioned at multiple angles. Put simply, modular office partitions help you create mobile walls that can be assembled, arranged, and dismantled, as needed. They are ideal for open floor plans and work well to help you organize and divide your office space.
Try Desktop Privacy Panels
Desktop privacy panels are small panels that are added to workstations and desks to provide privacy between coworkers. Ideally used in an open office, desk dividers they help create an illusion of separation between team members and their desks, although there isn’t truly much separation.
Unlike cubicles, privacy panels help maintain a more open feeling in large, open floor plans, without compromising on the sense of privacy. These panels can also be a great help in minimizing high levels of noise and in improving the acoustics of the room, especially if they are made from noise reducing materials.
Not to mention, dividing panels like these can also help people relax, since they feel like they have some privacy, consequently boosting their creativity and productivity.
Many desktop privacy panels come with a pinboard section where workers can hang important information, reminders, or personal items. They can also be found in a variety of colors and materials, to best match your office aesthetic and needs.
Try Plant Walls
Plants are beautiful and help add a sense of life and vibrance to a room. What better way to divide an open floor plan than by using plants to create walled partitions?
Along with strategically placed furniture and bookshelves, plant walls can help you carve out huddle spaces and meeting room zones and possibly even spark some extra creativity within your team. After all, plants do offer a zen-like feeling, which is a prerequisite for enhancing creativity and well-being.
Try Glass Partition Walls
For office partitioning designs, glass partition walls can work very well at dividing an office space, as long as you know your priorities. They do not provide much privacy between team members, and they may not be very efficient at blocking noise from your surroundings, depending on the design.
However, on the plus side, they help smaller offices appear larger than they are, and they’re also a great way to maximize all the natural light available in your office. They also provide a great way to divide open plan offices that have a lot of open office space to work with.
This can significantly reduce your need for artificial lights and help boost the office’s energy efficiency levels, leaving you with a lower carbon footprint. Glass partitions also happen to look sleek and fashionable, helping to make your office appear more modern and high-tech than it might actually be.
You can install glass partitions in various areas of an office and even use them to create a lobby area, where it will look elegant and make a great first impression on your clients.
Another thing glass partitions are helpful for is creating a feeling of transparency and openness between your team members, encouraging communication, creativity, and productivity. You could even use them to create conference room areas, boosting the transparent vibes because everyone can see what’s going on everywhere else.
If glass partition walls aren’t ideal, there are also clear desk partitions that can help create a similar feel within an office. Be sure to browse our site for the different options we offer. Acoustic panels are great at dividing open spaces that can also be private. What are acoustic panels? Acoustic panels are a great option for how to reduce noise in a small office. These provide division and noise cancellation that allow for better concentration.
Try Cubicle Workstations
Cubicle workstations are probably some of the most commonly used office dividers. It’s essentially a semi-enclosed space placed in an open room, that separates team members with partitions.
Office cubicles are often no more than 6 feet tall, with widths that are changeable. The main purpose of a cubicle is to shield your workers from the noise and visual distractions of a busy office, while providing some semblance of privacy.
Office cubicles come in many shapes and sizes to suit almost any office aesthetic. Most cubicles are made using modular elements, including walls, shelves, desks, and drawers.
However, you can also opt for curved-wall cubicles, or even ones with clear glass walls. We offer a variety of ready-made cubicles options to suit different size requirements and needs.
It can be a challenge deciding how best to divide your office space, but there are lots of options out there. By using the right tools, you can design a floor plan that’s perfect for your team and organization. And if you’re feeling stuck, reach out! Juniper Office furniture solutions is always ready to help.
Sources:
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=glass
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=U-shaped+desks
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=mobile+dividers
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=open+shelves
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?page=1&q=desktop+&type=product
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=glass
- https://juniperoffice.com/search?type=product&q=cubicles
- https://azcorporateinteriors.com/blog/5-ways-to-divide-your-office-workspace/
- https://www.nationalbusinessfurniture.com/blog/how-to-divide-space-on-a-budget